Some truths about the Hot Springs State Park
I have put off writing about the Hot Springs State Park, lease agreements and the closure of the Star Plunge for a variety of reasons, some of which are personal.
In full disclosure I have a soft spot in my heart for the TePee Pools, the Meccas, Jim and Margaret gave me my first job, and I worked there every summer throughout high school and one summer in college. But after that year, truthfully, I could not tell you how many owners there have been since the Meccas.
Earlier this month, I attended and reported on the public meeting from current TePee owners spokesperson Mark Begich. Regarding that meeting, there were some things I did not understand and one rumor I would like to clear up.
The first truth to address is about the supposed 2 million visitors to the park. There are NOT 2 million visitors annually to Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis. This was reported a few years ago from an online media source. I checked into it at that time by Googling “visitors to Hot Springs State Park.” The first thing that came up was there ARE more than 2 million visitors to Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas every year. I believe that is where the 2 million visitors rumors started. You really have to be careful when Googling to make sure Google, or whatever search engine you use, knows you mean Wyoming.
If you search Hot Springs State Park, Wyoming, it is hard to find visitor numbers and the biggest reason is that there is not an entrance fee so there is no true way to count the number of visitors to the park.
The second comment I wanted to address from that meeting was one resident who kept saying “give us back our state park” “can’t we go back to the way the park was before?”
My question is where did the park go? I have visited the state park on numerous occasions this year, since the Star Plunge closed, since the request for proposal was awarded to Wyoming Hot Springs. The park was there and looked like it usually did.
On one instance my cousin and I drove through the park and got close up pictures of the buffalo, including some young calves. On another visit I stopped by the cooling ponds and got some great photos of waterfowl and the gold fish; and on another visit we enjoyed walking through the park during Wyoming Discovery Days, even running into an old friend I had not seen in ages.
One of my coworkers enjoyed the entire day at the park during Wyoming Discovery Days with her two granddaughters.
During all my visits this year I have seen many others enjoying the park, as I saw them enjoy many years ago when I worked there, last year when I visited and the many years between.
The state park is still there, will always be in Thermopolis, and will continue to welcome all members of the public.
Feel free to go and enjoy because the park is still there.